Gavroche's Tale
by AslansHow24
Summary: A tale of how Gavroche survived the barricade.
1. Chapter 1

**Gavroche's Tale**

**Summary: This is a Les Miserables story about what would have happened if Javert had discovered that Gavroche was still alive. Based on 2012 Les Miserables.**

Inspector Javert walked among the bodies. He was searching for one in particular, but he stopped at the sight of a child, lying on the ground. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was the little blonde haired urchin who had ousted him as a spy. Staring down at the boy, Javert felt a pang of sympathy for the boy's loved ones. He took off his medal and placed it on the boy's chest. It was then that he noticed the boy's chest moving up and down. He was still alive. He looked around and realized that he had two options. 1) leave the boy to die and search for Jean Valjean, or 2) Let Valjean escape and get the boy to a hospital. Javert sighed. He had been hunting Valjean for years, but when given the chance to kill him, Valjean had instead spared his life. Making a quick decision, Javert scooped the boy up in his arms and stepped out into the street where the other soldiers were. They stopped at the sight of the inspector gently holding a member of the barricade.

"This boy is severely wounded" Javert said. "I am taking him to the hospital. There is nothing back that way. I am sure everyone else is dead"

"Sir," The soldier who spoke was the one who shot the boy, not that Javert knew that. "He was fighting for the barricade. Why are you letting him live?" Javert looked directly at the soldier.

"Because he is a child. Children follow the adults who take care of them. They cannot be held responsible for the actions they were told to do by others" Javert responded. "I am truly amazed that one of you willingly killed a child" He walked away, leaving the soldier to feel incredibly foolish. As he left the barricade, Javert flagged down a carriage.

"To the hospital please" He said. At the hospital, Javert paid the doctor and left the boy in the care of the nurses.

Gavroche woke up slowly, the sunlight streaming through the windows hurt his eyes. It took him a few minutes to realize that he was in a hospital. A nurse was getting ready to redress his wounds.

"I can't stay here" He said.

"You must" The nurse replied. "You are not fully recovered" Gavroche frowned.

"Hospitals cost money" He said. "I don't have any"

"You needn't worry about that" The nurse told him. "The Inspector covered the bill when he brought you here" Gavroche was shocked. He had thought Javert was dead and he sure as hell didn't ever think Javert would save his life.

"Why?" He asked. "Why did he save me?"

"He didn't say" the Nurse replied. She sighed. "His body was found in the Seine two days ago" Gavroche was shocked. Javert had saved his life, and then drowned? It didn't make sense. He registered what the nurse had said.

" how long have I been here?" He asked.

"One month" The nurse replied. "You're certainly a fighter, young man. You had two bullets lodged in your body. We had to operate quickly and hope for a recovery" Gavroche sighed, almost afraid to ask the next question.

"What happened to the barricade?" He asked. "Were there any other survivors?" The nurse hesitated. "Please tell me. I have to know" Gavroche pleaded.

"There was only one other survivor, as far as I know. He recovered a week ago and we sent him home" She replied.

"Who was it?" Gavroche asked.

"Marius Pontmercy" The nurse replied. Gavroche was happy for Marius. Now he could be with that girl he had met. True love, he had called it.

"Can you get a message to him? Can you tell him that Gavroche wants to see him?" He asked. The nurse nodded.

Marius and Cosette were having teas with Monsieur Gillimond (I think that is Marius's grandfather's name) and Monsieur Fechelevent, discussing the wedding. Monsieur Fechelevent had asked to speak to Marius privately, after tea. They were disrupted when the maid entered with a nurse from the hospital.

"I am sorry to disturb you, Monsieur Marius, but there is a survivor from the barricade who has requested that you come and see him. He is still too weak; otherwise I am sure he'd be on his way here" Marius felt the first stir of hope since he had recovered.

"Who?" He asked.

"His name is Gavroche" The words were barely out of her mouth when Marius shot up and was making his way to the door. Cosette went with him and they took a carriage to the hospital.

"Who is Gavroche?" Cosette asked.

"He is like little brother to all of us who were at the barricade" Marius explained. "He had climbed through the barricade and was collecting bullets when he was shot. Courfreyac grabbed and took him inside, but with all the commotion, I guess we all thought he had died. He took a bullet to the chest and shoulder. I just can't believe he's alive"

Cosette squeezed his hand.

"Does he have a family?" She asked.

"I don't know" Marius replied, as they got out of the carriage. "As far as I know he's been living on the streets on his own" The couple entered the hospital and a nurse directed them to Gavroche's room. Marius hesitated outside the door, so Cosette opened it. They saw the clean, blonde haired, 10 year old boy, sitting up in bed. His upper torso was completely covered in bandages.

"Hello Marius" He said cheerfully. Marius felt tears prick his eyes. If it weren't for the bandages he would have hugged Gavroche. He opted to sit on the edge of the bed instead.

"How did you get out of the barricade?" Marius asked. He doubted that the same man who saved him had saved Gavroche, since Gavroche had been placed with all the dead bodies.

"I was unconscious" Gavroche explained. "I thought I was going to die. When Inspector Javert, (who was alive, surprisingly) was inspecting the dead bodies, I guess he realized I was alive. He brought me here and paid the hospital to treat me" Marius smiled when he realized that Monsieur Fechelevant had only pretended to kill the inspector.

"We must thank him" Marius said.

"We can't" Gavroche said. "He's dead" Gavroche told Marius what the nurse had told him. It was then that he noticed Cosette, standing in the doorway. He smiled.

"You must be Marius's girlfriend" He said. She smiled.

"Fiancée, now" She told him. Gavroche smiled back.

"Congratulations" He said. Marius cleared his throat.

"Gavroche, you've done so much for the barricade and for me. I'd like you to come live with me and Cosette" He said. Gavroche smirked.

"You aren't old enough to be my parents" He said cheekily. Cosette smiled.

"How about you be our brother than" She said. "We're both only children, and I've always wanted a brother"

"I guess I could oblige" Gavroche said, grinning. He didn't really want to live on the streets anymore, anyway.

(Everything else is the same, except with Gavroche at the wedding and at Jean Valjean's death. If you want me to continue on to show those scenes with Gavroche, let me know)


	2. Chapter 2

**Gavroche's Tale**

**A/N: for FictionalCharacter and Gavroche T I will add two more chapters.**

Marius and Cosette's father sat in a small room. Marius turned to face the older man.

"I can't thank you enough for giving me Cosette" He said, smiling. "Your home shall be with us. We shall call you a father to us all" Monsiuer Fechelevant sighed.

"Not another word, my son. There's something now that must be done..." He paused and looked away out the window. "There lived a man whose name was  
Jean Valjean. He stole some bread to save his sister's son. For nineteen winters served his time. In sweat he washed away his crime" He said this slowly and Marius listened, with a look of shock upon his face. Fechelevant continued. "Years ago, He broke parole and lived a life apart..." At this he paused and looked Marius square in the eye. "How could he tell Cosette and break her heart? This must be faced" His voice broke and Marius seemed disturbed by what he was hearing.

"Jean Valjean" He whispered, eying the older man. Fechelevant nodded.

"The time has come to journey on" He replied. "I must go, for if I am caught, she will be disgraced" Marius thought back to when Valjean had offered to do away with Inspector Javert. But he hadn't. Marius wondered why?

"Monsieur, you cannot leave! Whatever I tell my beloved Cosette she will never believe!" Marius protested. He knew that Valjean was doing it for Cosette's sake, but he thought she deserved the truth, from Valjean himself.

"Make her believe I have gone on a journey far away. Tell her my heart was too full for farewells..." Valjean said quietly. "It is better this way" He gripped Marius by the shoulders. "Promise me, Monsieur, Cosette will never know..." Marius didn't want to, but he knew that it was for the best.

"I give my word" He said quietly. Valjean nodded.

"Thank you, Marius" He said. He quickly exited the room. Marius was startled when Gavroche poked his head out of the closet. He tried to look stern, but he was too upset about what had just happened.

Valjean left the modest lodging house and got in to a waiting cab. The cab rattled away down the street.

"Are you just going to let him go?" Gavroche asked.

"What else can I do?" Marius asked. "He's right. It's better this way" Gavroche shook his head.

"You don't mean that" He said. "Jean Valjean is not a bad man. He helped us at the barricade. He said it himself, he stole bread. I've done that, you know I have" Marius sighed and knew that Gavroche was right. He looked out the window.

"I don't think we'll find him" He said quietly. He left the room to tell his beloved that her father was gone. Cosette was completely bewildered.

"Where's he gone without a word?" She asked, tears in her eyes.

"All he asked for me to say he's on a journey, far away. Perhaps he will return some day" Marius said. Gavroche looked on sadly.

"He can't leave us now. What's our wedding day without him giving me away?" Cosette cried and Marius held her.

It was soon the wedding day and Marius and Cosette, newly married, were dancing at the wedding reception. As the dance proceeded, two extraordinary figures enter, and started helping themselves to the drink and the food. They were Thenardier and his wife, dressed up for high society.

"The Baron and Baroness du Thenard" They were announced. Gavroche saw them and recognized them immediately. He tapped Marius on the shoulder and pointed. Marius frowned and made his way to the couple. He grabbed each by the elbow and began pushing them out of the room.

"Go away, Thenardier! Do you think I don't know who you are? He asked angrily.

"He's not fooled!" Madame Thenardier snapped at her husband. Told you so! Show M'Sieur what you've come here to show. Tell the boy what you know!

"Hate to disturb you at a feast like this but 500 francs surely wouldn't come amiss" Thenardier said, raising an eyebrow. Marius frowned.

"In God's name say what you have to say" He snapped.

"He speaks. You pay!" Madame Thenardier said firmly. Marius rolled his eyes. He had no intention of paying them anything.

"What I saw, clear as light, Jean Valjean in the sewers that night" Marius was shocked that Thenardier knew Cosette's father's true identity and realized he might have to pay for them to keep quiet. "Had this corpse on his back, Some boy he'd killed in a viscious attack" Marius frowned. He couldn't believe the man was capable of killing anyone. Afterall, he let Javert go. "I was there, never fear! Even found me this fine souvenir!" He showed Marius a ring and Marius was shocked.

**"**I know this!" He said, grabbing the ring. "This was mine!" The Thenardiers looked at eachother, shocked. "This is surely some heavenly sign!" Thenardier snatched the ring back.

"And there's more! Mark this well. It was the night that the barricades fell" He said. Marius nodded.

"Then it's true! Then I'm right! Jean Valjean was my saviour that night!" Marius whispered. Thenardier looked past Marius to where Cosette stood among their friends. He lowered his voice.

"Jean Valjean - the old con. You pay up and I'll say where he's gone" Marius glared at Thenardier and punched him in the face. "Where is he?"

"The convent" Thenardier whispered. Marius rushed over to Cosette and Gavroche.

"Come on. I know where your father is" He said. Cosette and and Gavroche followed him, while the Thenardiers were thrown out of the the party.


	3. Chapter 3

**Gavroche's Tale**

Valjean was praying in the chapel, on his knees. He was very weak.

Next to the crucifix on the altar were Valjean's two silver candlesticks, in which two candles burn.

"Upon this wedding night I pray, Take these children, my Lord, to thy embrace And show them grace..." He paused. "God on high, Hear my prayer, take me now to thy care. Where you are take me now Bring me home"

He was soon joined by the ghost of Fantine. She took his hand as he prayed.

"M'sieur I bless your name..." She whispered gently, brushing the hair out of his face.

"I am ready, Fantine..." Valjean said, looking up at her.

"M'sieur lay down your burden. You raised my child in love, and you will be with God"

Cosette, Gavroche and Marius rushed round the cloisters and entered the chapel in the middle of the cloisters. Valjean turned at the sound of the door opening.

"Cosette?" He whispered, tears form in his eyes. Cosette rushed to him, knelt before him, and took him in her arms.

"Papa, papa, I do not understand. Are you all right? Why did you go away?" She asked, tears clinging to her eyelashes.

"Cosette, my child! Am I forgiven now? Thank God, thank God, I've lived to see this day" He reached up a hand to caress her face. Marius knelt beside them.

"It's you who must forgive a thoughtless fool! It's you who must forgive a thankless man!" He said earnestly. "It's thanks to you that I am living, And again I lay down my life at your feet" Cosette and Gavroche looked at Marius, not sure what he was talking about. He son explained. "Cosette, your father is a saint! When they wounded me, He took me from the barricade, carried like a babe, and brought me home to you!" Cosette gasped and looked back at her father with love and admiration.  
**  
**"Now you are here again beside me. Now I can die in peace, for now my life is blessed..." He trailed off and Cosette shook her head.

"You will live, papa" She said firmly. "You're going to live! It's too soon to say goodbye" Valjean smiled weakly.

"Yes, Cosette, forbid me now to die!" He tried to smile. He held a letter out to her. "On this page I write my last confession. Read it well when I at last am sleeping.  
It's the story of one who turned from hating a man who only learned to love when you were in his keeping" Cosette took the letter and kissed it.

**"**I know, papa" She whispered. Valjean looked toward the ghostly Fantine who held a hand out to him.

"I'm ready now, Fantine" He whispered. His breath left his body and Cosette began weeping. Gavroche wrapped his arms around her and Marius hugged them both.

"He is with God" Gavroche said in her ear. "He is happy now"

Jean Valjean was buried in a cemetary not as a criminal but as a wonderful loving father who gave all he had to protect his daughter. Marius and Cosette lived a happy and fulfilled life with Gavroche, who was able to attend school, university and finally became a doctor to help people like he had been helped.

THE END.


End file.
